Clothes prop or the like



p .7, 1949. F. o. SKIDMORE 2,483,388

CLOTHES PROP OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1948 I INVEN TOR. I FRfl/VK 7. SK/DMURE (ZZZU/WE s Patented Sept. 27, 1949 CLOTHES PROP OR THE LIKE Frank 0. Skidmore, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, as-

signor of one-half to Herbert Reuss, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Application February 10, 1948, Serial No. 7,369

' (c1. 24ss5s) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to telescoping clothes props, or the like; and, more particularly, is concerned with improved locking means for relatively slidable or telescoping members of the character described.

Heretofore, clothes props of the type illustrated in Patent No. 1,978,865 have been made and sold, but such props have been open to the objection that the locking means shown in the indicated patent do not provide a sufiiciently positive grip between the relatively sliding parts of the prop, and with the result that the prop may suddenly collapse in use to drop clothes to the ground. This is obviously very objectionable. The lack of adequate locking action is particularly evident on props made from hard wood, and'even when soft wood'is used, the continued operation of the prop and the lock tends to form a glaze or polish on the wood in the area engaged by the look so that positive locking action isnot assured.

It has also been proposed to employ pointed teeth in association with a pivoted locking element, but such teeth dig into the members, which are usually wood, in an objectionable manner to roughen or crack the surface, and I have found, moreover, that unless the teeth are so sharp as to be objectionable as just noted, that an adequate lock is not provided by teeth which will also slide under certain load or heavy load conditions.

It is the general object of my invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to known telescoping clothes props or the like, by the provision of an apparatus of this type including improved locking means which are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, but which will function over long periods of time to provide extremely positive and satisfactory locking means under a wide variety of load conditions, including heavy loads.

Another object of my invention is the provision of locking means in association with devices of the indicated type, such locking means presenting a flatly curved metal edge in wedging relation to an element to be locked, such a metal edge making substantially only a point contact initially with the element to concentrate locking forces, but upon the application of additional load forming a crescent moon-like detent of considerable width in the element to provide very positive locking engagement.

The foregoing objects of my invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the provi- 2 sion of a clothes prop including relatively slidable elements, a lock pivotally mounted on one element and adapted to move in wedging relation with the other element, said lock presenting an arcuate metal edge to the other element to form a crescent moon-shaped detent therein of a width equal to at least one-third of the width of the element.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a telescoping wooden clothes prop incorporating the locking means of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of one of the sticks or elements of the clothes prop indicating the moon-shaped detent formed therein by the locking means; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the improved locking means of my invention.

It will be understood that the principles of my invention may be employed in conjunction with any of a plurality of relatively slidable or telescoping members or elements. However, one best known application thereof is in conjunction with clothes props, and, accordingly, the invention has been so illustrated and will be so described.

' In'the drawing, the numeral Ml indicates generally a telescoping clothes prop including a pair of elongated, relatively movable elements 12 and [4, such elements normally comprising wooden sticks, each some four feet in length, threequarters of an inch or slightly thicker, and one inch to an inch and a half wide. The stick or element I4 is usually formed with a pointed lower end It, and the stick or element I2 is provided at its upper end with metal or other means l8 for receiving and holding a clothes line or the like.

A locking means is pivotally supported adjacent the upper end of the stick or element l Al, such locking means being indicated as a whole by the numeral 20 and including a portion slidably receiving and surrounding the stick or element l2 The locking means 20, shown in perspective in Fig. 3, is pivotally secured to the upper end of the stick or element Hi in any suitable way. One particularly convenient and advantageous manner of achieving the pivotal support for the locking means 20 is to provide a groove 22 around three sides of the stick l4, namely, at the back and two sides of the stick, and to provide in the locking means 20 a notch 24 which-will fit loosely intothe groove 22. l The height of the groove 22, as shown, is such that a pivotal support is provided for the locking means which will permit movement of'the locking means from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

An important feature of the invention is that the portion of the locking means 20 which slidably receives and surrounds the stick I? is transversely curved downwardly in the portion marked 26 in Fig. 3, the greatest depth to the "curve being in the center ofthe portion 26. Also, the locking means is curved downwardly at each side near the end, as at 28, so as to tilt the curved portion 26 thereby presenting a metal edgeof relatively flat arcuate shape closely adjacent the surface of the stick of element 82. The -result is areleasable locking or wedging action. For example,

when the stick [2 is raised relative to the stick I4 the stick I2 will slide freely'through the locking means 23. But when a load is placed on the upper end of the stick I2, as by a loaded clothes line positioned in the holding means arcuateedge 38 of the-lockingme'ans will engage the face of the stick 'I2, the locking means will pivot in the manner heretofore described, and the-edge 3il of the locking means wili biteinto the iace'of the stick I 2 with a wedglng, locking action to very positively hold the sticks I2 and H3 in the desired relation to each other.

ltis to be noted'that the edge 30 contacts the sface of the stick I2 substantially with a point contact, because of the arcuate-s'hape'of the edge 38, but that the application of the load to the stick 12 'will cause the edge 38 to press a thin, crescent moones'haped recess, indicated by the numeral 32 in Fig. 2, into the .face of the stick I2. The recess 32 will be deepest at its center and of gradually less depth out to'its edges, and under ordinary load conditions, the width of the recess 32 will be at least one-third-of the width of the face of thestick I2, and oftenclosertoonehalf the .width .of the space, thereby insuring relatively large load holding area. The described locking meanshas been found from:many experiments and tests to be decidedly superior to any locking'means known heretofore.

When it is necessary to T616259 the locking means, the stick I2 .is raised slightly with respect to the'stick ,the locking means .20 .is heldin the 'full line :position whereupon 'the stick 12 can he slid downwardly with respect to the stick I4 to 'telescopeztheprop'back to the position illustrated in Fig. .1.

The locking means 20 has the advantage that -it is conveniently made .as a metal stamping, :usually from a good, stiff grade, relatively thick gauge of aluminum'so that 'the;problem-of:rusting is eliminated, thesmetal' stampin 'takingthe iform of the :endless .O-shaped member illustrated in Fig. 3, the inside corners of the stamping being square in the manner shown. Assembling the locking means and the sticks'is arelatively simple I8, the

cludes a guiding means indicated as a Whole by the numeral 36, such guiding means being identical to the locking means 20 except that the guiding means 36 is not curved in the regions 26 and 28 as heretofore described. The guiding means 36 is received in a groove 38 formed in thelower end of the stick I2, and the portion of the guiding means Stnot received in the groove 38 surrounds-and guides the lower end of *the stick or element I4, The guiding means 36 is assembled 'with the sticks l2 and I4 in the same manner.

.Fromthe foregoing, it will be recognized that the various objects of my invention have been achieved by .the mrov'ision of a clothes prop or the like having relatively telescoping or movable members,'and bythe provision of improved lockingmeansion-facilitating securing the relatively movable members in desired relation to each other. The locking and guiding means comprise simple metal stampings .of like character, but with locking aneans being bent in two =difierent planes to present aflatarcuate metal edge-in close association-with a-rsurface to be locked. The flat arcuate edge of the locking means presents a point type of pressure contact with the surface which insures high pressure concentration to cited: the locking :action between the locking means-.andithesurtace, .but with the point type of .pressure contact changing during the wedging, docking action to a .line type of .pressure contact to produce a crescent moons'haped recess in the surface to be locked, the recess being greatest .at .its center and dwindling away to nothing at :its edges, and with :the recess being ,usually at least one-third the width .of the surface of the stick or other element being locked.

While in accord withthe patent statutes, one masticular embodiment of my invention has been illustrated and described in detail, .it is to be definitely understood that I-amnot to be limited thereto or thereby, but .that the scope of my .inventionis defined in the appended claims.

l. :A clothes vprop .or .the like including a pair of woodensticksslidably mounted .in side by side .relation, alocking member ,pivotally mounted on nnestick and slidably surrounding the other, said .member being stamped and having a downwardly .and transversely curved jaw,portion tilted to vpre sent an arcuate metal edge to said other stick for locking thesticks together when a load isapplied .in a direction to move the member in a locking -.direction.

.2. vA clothes prop or theflik e including relatively slidable elements,.allock pivotally meunte'a cn one element and adapted to moveinto wedgi'ng relation with-the other. element, said lock presenting an .arcuate metal edge 'to the other element to form a crescent moon-shaped .dte'rit therein of a width equal to at'l'east one-third o'fthe width of .the .element.

THANK U. 'SKIDMOR'E.

REFERWCES CITEB The following :references are of record in the :file'of this :patent:

par-ran STATES-PATENTS- Number M .Name Date 1,468,476 Kefier Sept."1"8,"1'923 15961848 Kautz De'c."'2'5, 1928 1,978,865 Haines -JGct. 30, 1934 

